Movies like Pon Manickavel (2021)
The best movies like Pon Manickavel (2021) are Chief of Station (2024), Oscar Shaw (2026) and Yennai Arindhaal (2015). If Pon Manickavel hooked you with its action and thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Maltese Falcon (1941)7.7/10 from 1,983 votes
- NewestOscar Shaw (2026)Released 2026
- In TamilYennai Arindhaal (2015)Also in Tamil
Chief of Station (2024)
After learning that the death of his wife was not an accident, a former CIA Station Chief is forced back into the espionage underworld, teaming up with an adversary to unravel a conspiracy that challenges everything he thought he knew.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOscar Shaw (2026)
After retiring from the police force, a relentless detective haunted by the tragic loss of his closest friend sets out on a perilous quest for vengeance, seeking redemption and fighting to restore justice to the streets he once swore to protect.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYennai Arindhaal (2015)
Sathyadev, who is on a career break, is forced to put on his cop shoes ones again to save Thenmozhi, a young woman who is the target of a criminal organ harvesting group, led by a ghost from his past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Blue Lamp (1950)
P.C. George Dixon is a long-serving traditional copper who is due to retire shortly. He takes a new recruit under his aegis and introduces him to the easy-going night beat. Dixon is a classic ordinary hero but also anachronistic, unprepared and unable to answer the violence of the 1950s.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTheri (2016)
When an honest cop, Vijay Kumar's family is ruthlessly slaughtered by a politician and his aides, he decides to change his identity and commits his life to bring his daughter up in a serene atmosphere. But some freak events end up compromising his identity and what he does to save his daughter and avenge the death of his family unfurls as Theri.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDhuruvangal Pathinaaru (2016)
A former cop looks back on the case which left him disabled and forced him to quit the force.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJailer (2023)
Muthuvel Pandian, a retired, stern yet compassionate jailer lives a peaceful life with his family, but trouble knocks his door when his cop son’s tryst with an antique mafia gang goes awry and forces Muthu to step back into a dark world he had voluntarily took a break from.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mirror Crack'd (1980)
Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisElectra Glide in Blue (1973)
A short Arizona motorcycle cop gets his wish and is promoted to Homicide following the mysterious murder of a hermit. He is forced to confront his illusions about himself and those around him in order to solve the case, eventually returning to solitude in the desert.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Glass Key (1942)
A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHe Walked by Night (1949)
Roy Martin aka Roy Morgan is a burglar and former war-time Radio & Electronics Engineer who listens in to radio police calls, allowing him to stay one step ahead of the cops.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhere the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
A police detective's violent nature keeps him from being a good cop.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEach Dawn I Die (1939)
A corrupt D.A. with governatorial ambitions is annoyed by an investigative reporter's criticism of his criminal activities and decides to frame the reporter for manslaughter in order to silence him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSingam (2010)
The story, set in the backdrop of Nallore, a small town in Thoothukudi District, revolves around Sub-Inspector Durai Singam, a brave and just policeman who serves in his hometown primarily to fulfill his father’s wish. Durai Singam settles every dispute in his town patiently with his words of wisdom and resorts to force only when the situation demands it. Kavya, a city girl who comes on vacation to Nallore, falls in love with Durai Singam. Erimalai, Durai Singam's bumbling colleague and friend, often accompanies him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMurder Most Foul (1964)
A murderer is brought to court and only Miss Marple is unconvinced of his guilt. Once again she begins her own investigation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Naked City (1948)
After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon attempt to piece together her murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Maltese Falcon (1941)
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)
A veteran homicide detective who has witnessed his socialite girlfriend kill her husband sees his inexperienced brother assigned to the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNaked Alibi (1954)
Questioned as a murder suspect, solid (but drunk) citizen Al Willis attacks his police questioners, is beaten, and swears vengeance against them. Next night, Lieut. Parks is murdered; Willis is the only suspect in the eyes of tough Chief Conroy, who pursues him doggedly despite lack of evidence. The obsessed Conroy is dismissed from the force, but continues to harass Willis, who flees to a sleazy town on the Mexican border. Of course, Conroy follows. But which is crazy, Conroy or Willis?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAfter the Sunset (2004)
An FBI agent is suspicious of two master thieves, quietly enjoying their retirement near what may - or may not - be the biggest score of their careers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPreying for Mercy (2014)
Frank Gates is an LAPD cop with a rocky past and a dark secret. He restarted his life thinking he was finally safe, but the past is never far behind. Now with danger coming fast he is forced to protect his family at any cost.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & thriller
Beyond the Law (1993)
Dan Saxon is an undercover cop who infiltrates a biker gang to nail the scum behind a drug-smuggling operation. In order to maintain the trust of the gang's leader, he must commit ever more dangerous and heinous crimes. Just how far 'beyond the law' will Saxon go?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShakedown (1988)
When a local drug dealer shoots a dishonest cop in self-defense, lawyer and renegade undercover cop join forces to clear him. But when their investigation leads them into a maze of greed and corruption, they learn that in a town where everything is for sale, anything can happen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisBeverly Hills Cop (1984)
Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Night of the Generals (1967)
A German intelligence officer investigates a prostitute's killing in Warsaw during World War II. He lands on three major Nazi generals as suspects, two of whom are also involved in a plot to kill Adolf Hitler.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Double Hour (2009)
A chambermaid and a former cop meet at a speed dating event and a romance develops. But during a romantic getaway things suddenly take a turn for the worse when her mysterious past is revealed.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJesse Stone: No Remorse (2010)
Police Chief Jesse Stone, who was suspended by the Paradise, Mass. Town Council, begins moonlighting for his friend, State Homicide Commander Healy, by investigating a series of murders in Boston, leaving Rose and Suitcase to handle a crime spree in Paradise on their own. Jesse pours his energy into his work in an effort to push away his twin demons: booze and women. When his investigation leads to notorious mob boss Gino Fish, Jesse's pursuit becomes hazardous.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Scarlet Claw (1944)
When a woman is found dead with her throat torn out, the local villagers blame a supernatural monster. But Sherlock Holmes, who gets drawn into the case from nearby Quebec, suspects a human murderer.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Beacon (2009)
While trying to get their lives back on track after the loss of their four year old son, Bryn and Paul Shaw move to the charming old Beacon Apartments. Bryn begins seeing a ghostly little boy skulking around the building. With the help of an eccentric young professor and a tough old beat cop, Bryn tries to uncover the details of the boy's death.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Stockholm Marathon (1994)
A gardener decides to exact revenge on the men he believes to be responsible for the death of his mentally disturbed wife.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Pon Manickavel?
The closest matches to Pon Manickavel are Chief of Station (2024), Oscar Shaw (2026) and Yennai Arindhaal (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Pon Manickavel?
Start with Chief of Station (2024), the closest match to Pon Manickavel.
What is the highest-rated movie like Pon Manickavel?
The Maltese Falcon (1941), rated 7.7/10 by 1,983 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Pon Manickavel?
Oscar Shaw (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Tamil movies like Pon Manickavel?
Yes: Yennai Arindhaal (2015), Theri (2016) and Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru (2016).
How are movies similar to Pon Manickavel chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Pon Manickavel, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.